Photo credits: Mor
Have you ever wondered why your pet doesn’t strike a pose when in front of a mirror? Well, that’s because most animals cannot recognize themselves in a mirror! Recent testing and studies conducted at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have shown that new head implants are able to trigger self-awareness, or the ability to understand that one exists as an individual, in rhesus monkeys. As only certain species, such as humans, some orangutans and chimpanzees, are self-aware, it is completely amazing that this technology has been discovered.
The head implant, which is made of acrylic blocks that attach to the monkey’s hair-thin electrodes, allowed it to pose and “check itself out” in front of a mirror. Recognizing one self in a mirror is believed to be a sign of self-awareness, and the monkey performed several self-directed behaviors while exposed to the mirror. It was hypothesized that the implant allowed the monkey to surmount its gaze aversion inhibition or lack of interest and actually examine itself in the mirror. Before the head implant was inserted, the monkey would try to socially interact with its reflection. He would touch and attempt to communicate with its image in the mirror, even after long exposure and much training.
The mark test, which is the standard test for self-awareness, is quite controversial but is commonly used to test self-awareness in different species. This test includes applying marks to the animal’s face while anesthetized, so that when the monkey wakes it will either touch the marks while in front of the mirror, or it will not. If the animal touches the marks, then it is said to have passed the test. Rhesus monkeys have persisted to fail this test and because of this, are not considered self-aware. However, results from this particular experiment show that the monkeys are able to recognize themselves in front of the mirror with the implant and have some form of self-awareness.
During the experiment, the monkey would move in front of the mirror and would even pick up the mirror and angle it, while it groomed the area around the implant. He would even smell and lick his fingers, which indicated that he understood the area being groomed was his own. The monkey did not attempt to groom his reflection or socialize with the image in the mirror, which is another indicator that he was self-aware.
The experiment is extremely interesting and has revealed much information about self-awareness in monkeys. Although monkeys have failed the mark test, they demonstrated some self-awareness when wearing the head implant. What other animals are self-aware? How have researchers made this discovery?
